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How-To Clean Your Office Copier Glass with Windex

Imagine for a moment that you’re preparing to present your company's latest office copier product to a room full of potential investors. Convincing your audience of the value of the product and the need to invest is crucial for funding your product and helping it reach its full potential.

You've created a top-notch presentation, second-to-none refreshments, and a functional prototype for your audience to put their hands on. Now, you’re making copies using your office copier of the informational packet for each person to take back with them for reflection. However, are you noticing the prints look terrible? Ever thought about cleaning your office copier glass with windex?

There are so many streaks and specks that the packets not only look unprofessional but are challenging to read and hard to look at. You can't possibly hand these out. What happened? More than likely, the glass on your copier needs to be cleaned.

The multifunction printer sits in the copy room and paper is the only thing to come in contact with the glass, so there's no need to clean it right? Wrong! Residues on the paper can rub off onto the glass, fingerprints from positioning the documents as well as dust and dirt particles.

Despite your best efforts, your copier's glass will need to be cleaned from time to time. How do you go about cleaning the glass on your copier? This is your guide to correctly cleaning the glass on your office's copier.

Why is it Important to Clean Your Copy Machine Glass?

You're only making a copy, so what's the big deal if there are a little dirt and dust on the glass? It's actually a huge deal. Debris on the glass will eventually make its way into other parts of the copier, including the control panel.

This can cause the copy machine to malfunction or breakdown, meaning you will need the services of a professional copier repair technician. The more immediate problem with dirt and debris on the glass is that it reduces the quality of the copy or scan.

Any smudges or specks of dust will appear on scans or copies as streaks or black specks. This is highly undesirable, especially when these are documents you are sending to customers or investors. Regularly cleaning your copier's glass is an essential part of quality control in your office.

Wait a Minute! Doesn't Cleaning Copier Glass Leave Streaks?

When you think of cleaning your copier's glass, you probably just had flashbacks of how nightmarish it is to clean the windows in your home or the windows of your car.

You can never seem to get all of the streaks out of glass, so how can you effectively clean the glass on your copy machine without leaving undesirable streaks? Windex, of course!

Properly Cleaning the Glass on Your Copier Machine

Now that you know you can use Windex to clean the glass on your copy machine, you can grab a paper towel, and you're good to go right? Not so fast. The key to streak-free glass is how you wipe the Windex off of the glass.

Paper towels tend to leave behind lint, which will only make the issue worse. Choose a lint-free cloth such as a microfiber towel that doesn't leave tiny particles of dust behind.

First, take a microfiber or lint-free cloth of your choosing and spray Windex on the fabric. Next, wipe away any smudges on the glass. Even though you have removed the stains, if you leave the Windex to dry, you will most certainly be left with streaks on your copier.

Instead, take a new dry lint-free cloth and wipe away the excess Windex. Making sure the glass is completely dry will make for a streak-free surface.

How About Compressed Air Instead of Windex?

You may be wondering why you can't just use compressed air to blow the dirt and debris off, instead of going to all that trouble with the two cloths and Windex. Using compressed air is not recommended because it forces dust and debris underneath the glass.

This will not only make it harder to clean but also push dirt and debris into other parts of the machine, which can interfere with how the device operates.

What's Next?: Additional Tips When Cleaning Copier Glass

Windex is excellent for cleaning copier machine glass and giving you the ability to produce flawless copies of documents. However, too much of a good thing is not always a good thing.

Be careful not to use too much Windex, as it is a liquid that can damage the inner workings of your printers and copiers should it get into the control panel and even on the belts. Never pour Windex directly on the glass as it could run into cracks and crevices that allow it in the machine.

Windex contains alcohol, and this alcohol can dry the belts out, making them more brittle. Broken belts translate into less productivity and more downtime. If a problem with defective copies has prompted you to clean the copier glass in the first place, do a test run to make sure the issue of streaks and specks have been resolved.

Run a blank copy through the copier. If there aren't any specks or streaks, the problem has been resolved. If you still see defects, check the glass for debris that has been left behind as well as for cracks in the glass. Cracks in the glass will need to be repaired by a professional.

At AIS, we offer more than just the right product to fit your needs. Our team understands that time is money and you can't afford a machine to be out of commission. That is why we offer second-to-none service and maintenance contracts to get your business back up and running as quickly as possible. To learn even more about office equipment upkeep and maintenance, or any of our other products and services, reach out to one of our business technology consultants, here. Also, check out our video channel on YouTube, The Copier Channel. We’re here to give you peace of mind to help you win more business.

A true southerner from Atlanta, Georgia, Marissa has always had a strong passion for writing and storytelling. She moved out west in 2018 where she became an expert on all things business technology-related as the Content Producer at AIS. Coupled with her knowledge of SEO best practices, she's been integral in catapulting AIS to the digital forefront of the industry. In her free time, she enjoys sipping wine and hanging out with her rescue-dog, WIllow. Basically, she loves wine and dogs, but not whiny dogs.